Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 6 (ANI): The draw of lots for Hajj 2026 pilgrims from the erstwhile Hyderabad State has been successfully completed, with 695 pilgrims selected under the historic Nizam's Rubath arrangement in Saudi Arabia, according to an offical statement.

Speaking to ANI, Faiz Khan, a member of the H.E.H. Nizam Committee, said the selection process was conducted transparently in the presence of representatives from the Telangana Government, the Hajj Committee, the Waqf Board, and Saudi official Hussain al Sharif.

He said the selected pilgrims, including members of the royal family and employees of the H.E.H. Nizam Trusts, will be accommodated at the Nizam's Rubath during their stay in Makkah. The facility continues a long-standing tradition of providing comfort and financial relief to pilgrims.

Faiz Khan said the initiative was originally started by the Fifth Nizam and later strengthened by the Eighth Nizam, Nawab Mir Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah Bahadur. He added that efforts are being made to preserve and carry forward this legacy for future generations.

He further said the committee plans to restore or establish alternative Rubath facilities in the holy city of Medina to make the pilgrimage more convenient for travellers in the coming years.

He also extended his best wishes to all the selected Hajis for a safe and blessed journey.

In Islam, it is obligatory for every individual to fulfil five duties (pillars), of which Hajj is one. In 2025, the Hajj was performed between June 4 and June 9 in Saudi Arabia. The first batch of annual Hajj pilgrims from India started in early May.

According to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, a total of 1,22,518 hajj pilgrims undertook the sacred journey in 2025, with the first flights departing from Lucknow and Hyderabad.

Hajj is an arduous and strenuous pilgrimage involving walking up to 25 km in a day in harsh climates.

The Government of India (GoI) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) sign the bilateral HajjAgreement every year, in which the number of Hajj seats allocated to India is incorporated. Out of thetotal number of quotas allocated to the Government, 70% will be allocated to the Haj Committee of India (HCoI), and the remaining 30% will be allocated to Haj Group of Organisers (HGOs). (ANI)